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By Pacific Coast Business Times Staff / Monday, October 12th, 2009 / Top Stories / Comments Off on UCSB center adds nano spin to biotech
Hoping to carve out a role for nanotechnology in treating life-threatening diseases, the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a medical research institute in San Diego County have formed a multimillion-dollar partnership to recruit up to 150 scientists and support staff and house a research center at UCSB. Called the “Center for Nanomedicine,” the UCSB-Burnham Read More →
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By Pacific Coast Business Times Staff / Monday, October 12th, 2009 / Opinion / Comments Off on The three-step tax fix for California
Here’s a simple, three-step fix to California’s budget. First, cap the flat tax on individual income at 7.5 percent. Use a 10-year history to estimate what the average level of revenue will be with taxes at that level. That plus the state sales tax and other levies should really be California’s baseline for spending. It Read More →
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By Pacific Coast Business Times Staff / Monday, October 12th, 2009 / Women Inc. / Comments Off on Direct selling on the rise
Marilyn Lewis has seen a few recessions in her lifetime, but the Thousand Oaks resident has always had a back-up plan. Like almost 15 million other women in the U.S., Lewis is a direct seller — she sells cosmetics to other women from her home. Although it may conjure up images of ’50s Tupperware parties, Read More →
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By Pacific Coast Business Times Staff / Monday, October 12th, 2009 / Columns / Comments Off on Green Coast gets ready for its close-up
Six months ago I wrote a column suggesting that we reinvent the tri-county economy as a “Green Coast” for energy research and innovation. Now there are signs this idea is becoming a reality. On Sept. 30, a broad-based coalition of business, government, major universities and nonprofit groups applied to the California Department of Housing and Read More →
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By Pacific Coast Business Times Staff / Monday, October 12th, 2009 / Top Stories / Comments Off on Making it work
First, the airwaves. Then, the nation. Santa Barbara-based computer support firm Make it Work has landed a deal to host a nationally syndicated radio show about consumer technology. And it plans to parlay that show into a coast-to-coast rollout of its tech support services. Driving a fleet of bright red Mini Coopers, Make It Work Read More →
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By Pacific Coast Business Times Staff / Monday, October 12th, 2009 / Opinion / Comments Off on Shout-out for a university leader
On a happier note, we’re pleased to add our own congratulations to Howie Wennes, president emeritus of California Lutheran University and recipient of the institution’s Christus Award, for bridging the gap between CLU and the communities it serves. Wennes came to the university just four years ago after a distinguished career in the Lutheran Church. Read More →
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By Pacific Coast Business Times Staff / Monday, October 12th, 2009 / Top Stories / Comments Off on Overtime fines hit small business
Anyone can tell you it’s tough to run a business. Now it’s about to get tougher. The U.S. Department of Labor is cracking down on employee overtime violations, and business owners are going to start feeling the heat. The down economy has forced employers and employees alike to focus more attention on pay. Because of Read More →
